RATBA 44

Chapter 44

Elliot despised humans—loathed them, even.

But thankfully, he didn’t ignore my request.

Soon, he materialized before everyone’s eyes.

“A spirit!!”

“It really is a spirit, Your Majesty!”

“I can see that for myself! Everyone, silence!”

Thanks to the Emperor’s command, the commotion died down—but fear still lingered in the air.

To reassure them, I stepped closer to Elliot and tugged lightly on his sleeve.

“……!!”

People flinched back as if expecting him to strike me down.

But Elliot allowed me to hold onto him without protest.

“I believe this proves my words. And Elliot’s—the water spirit’s—power will be a great asset to the Empire. So I humbly request…”

Standing before the Emperor with more seriousness than ever, I declared:

“Please, grant me the chance to protect the Empire with this power.”

If my contributions grew, so would Nathan’s chances of inheriting the throne.

We were husband and wife—a team.

I prayed fervently that the Emperor would recognize the spirit’s usefulness and accept its power.

After a tense silence, he finally spoke.

“…No, Claudia. That power is far too dangerous. Swear to me—swear you will never use it again.”

“……”

“And send the spirit back. Now!”

His voice was still laced with wariness.

With no other choice, I whispered to Elliot.

“Thank you for answering my call. You can return now.”

<That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Farewell, then.>

Elliot dissolved his form and vanished before our eyes.

Another heavy silence followed.

Nathan stepped forward, as if to defend me—but the Emperor didn’t give him the chance.

“Nathan, I’m disappointed in you as well.”

The reprimand landed squarely on Nathan’s shoulders.

Nathan swallowed his words and listened.

“Isn’t Claudia your fiancée? Then you should have stopped her. Instead, it seems you helped her obtain this dangerous power. Am I wrong?”

Without hesitation, Nathan replied:

“I trust Claudia. I know she’s wise and responsible enough to handle even a dangerous power.”

I stared at him, stunned.

He met the Emperor’s gaze unflinchingly, fully prepared to stand by his words.

‘He… believes in me that much?’

The urge to run over and hug him nearly overwhelmed me.

But despite Nathan’s unwavering response, the Emperor sighed.

“I understand your feelings… But Claudia, return that power to where it belongs. And this time, seek the Duke’s assistance—going alone is too risky.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Understand this. Everything I say is for your sake.”

I bowed my head deeply to hide my stiff expression, clutching my dress tightly.

“…I will obey.”

“Good. Now go and rest.”

This was the most wretched I’d ever felt.

I thought I’d be praised.

I thought I’d earn glory for contributing to the war.

I thought Nathan and I could use this power to make a difference—

‘And this is the result?’

With great effort, I forced my heavy legs to move and withdrew from the audience chamber.

Nathan watched me worriedly before saying:

“Go to the Duke’s estate for now. You should let him know you’ve returned safely.”

“Yes…”

The moment I left, discussions resumed in the audience chamber—but there was no place for me there.

The moment my carriage arrived, my father greeted me.

Seeing his joy made my eyes sting.

I hugged him tightly and didn’t let go for a long time.

After a while, he asked gently:

“Luke told me a little. It sounded like a difficult journey.”

“Yes. It was… really hard.”

Had Nayla and Luke not been there, it would’ve been far easier.

Their interference not only made things harder—it nearly cost me my life.

Lost in thought, I hesitated.

‘Should I tell Father what happened? Would he expel Nayla if I did?’

I’d been considering it for a while—ever since I saw her true nature.

Keeping someone as unpredictable and dangerous as her in the household was unthinkable.

But now that the moment had come, I wavered.

‘If Nayla is kicked out… she might end up homeless. With nowhere to go, no one to protect her…’

At best, Regis might take her in—but that wasn’t guaranteed.

If expelled from the Ducal house, Nayla would no longer be a noble lady.

That would create an insurmountable social gap between her and Regis.

And with Regis currently competing with Nathan for the throne, he’d need a wife from a prestigious family—one who could bolster his position.

‘I’d feel satisfied seeing her suffer, but… I have to consider public opinion.’

Faking tears to garner sympathy was her specialty, after all.

Father would be labeled the “heartless noble who abandoned his pitiful adopted daughter.”

‘The worse Nayla’s situation, the louder the criticism of our house will grow. What do I do?’

After agonizing over it, an idea finally came to me.

“Father, I have a request.”

“A request?”

I pulled back and nodded.

“Yes. What if… we send Nayla to the Academy?”

Even if the tuition was expensive, it wouldn’t matter—to a Duke, it was pocket change.

A small price to remove Nayla from the Ducal house.

‘Perfect. If she’s in the Academy’s dormitories, she won’t be able to cause trouble here. And since we’re not throwing her out penniless, the family’s reputation stays intact.’

I couldn’t think of a better solution.

“Please. Send Nayla to the Academy. Will you?”

“Hmm, it’s not a difficult request, but why the sudden change?”

“W-Well… she’s smart, isn’t she? With an education, she could become someone great.”

It was a terrible lie, but I had no choice.

If Father acted rashly and cast Nayla out, the Ducal house would bear the backlash.

‘Everything I do is for the family—for Father.’

As I rationalized it, Father nodded.

“Hmm… Very well. I’ll speak to Nayla.”

“Thank you. And… please don’t tell her it was my idea.”

“Of course.”

With his agreement, I finally exhaled in relief.

‘I won’t have to see her face around here anymore. That’s enough.’

It felt like finally tossing out a pile of long-accumulated trash.

Praying she’d enroll as soon as possible, I retreated to my room.

“Y-You’re enrolling me in the Imperial Academy? Really?”

Even after hearing it directly from the Duke, Nayla couldn’t believe it.

The cold, indifferent Duke—sending her, not Claudia, to the Academy?

It sounded like something out of a dream.

Her voice trembled as she asked again:

“C-Can I really… go to such a place?”

“Yes. Just sign here.”

Afraid he might change his mind, Nayla hastily signed the documents.

The Duke watched indifferently before dismissing her.

“You may leave now.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Father!”

“Mm. You’re excused.”

True to his word, the Duke never revealed that Claudia had suggested this.

He remembered her request to keep it a secret.

Unaware of the truth, Nayla smiled to herself.

‘The Duke finally recognizes my worth. He must’ve realized I’m better than that idiot Claudia…!’